Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat – Syrian National Coalition member Haytham al-Malih
has launched a sharp attack on the regional and international parties
concerned with the Syrian crisis, asserting that their silence has provided
cover for the Bashar al-Assad regime and its crimes. Speaking exclusively to
Asharq Al-Awsat, al-Malih stressed that the only way to protect the Syrian
people is to provide support and assistance to the opposition Free Syrian
Army [FSA] to end the struggle with a regime that has lost all legitimacy.

Al-Malih said that the political quiet that has beset the Syrian crisis
represents a freezing of aid from Arab, regional and international states.

A cautious calm has prevailed on the Syrian political scene since UN Envoy
Lakhdar Brahimi left Cairo earlier this week after proposing an initiative
to form a transitional government. This initiative was rejected by the
Syrian opposition represented by the Syrian National Coalition which
expressed reservations about any political solution that includes Bashar
al-Assad remaining in power in any form.

Al-Malih told Asharq Al-Awsat “Brahimi should submit a report to the UN
Security Council relating the tragic situation in Syria in order to stop the
war and killing machine under Chapter VII of the UN charter, particularly as
he previously warned that the situation in Syria represents a threat to
world peace. This necessitates the implementation of Article 39 of Chapter
VII of the UN charter which authorizes the use of military force to maintain
peace."

Article 39 reads: "The Security Council shall determine the existence of any
threat to the peace, breach of the peace, or act of aggression and shall
make recommendations, or decide what measures shall be taken in accordance
with Articles 41 and 42, to maintain or restore international peace and
security."

Al-Malih added: "Brahimi gave the Syrian government the green light to kill
civilians when he said that the death toll will reach 100,000 this year, and
this will truly happen unless he listens to his conscience and activates the
Syrian file within the United Nations and Security Council to condemn the
ruling regime in Damascus."

Speaking from Cairo last week, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi told reporters that
if the crisis continues, Syria will not be divided into states "like what
happened in Yugoslavia" but would face "Somalisation, which means warlords,
and the Syrian people will be persecuted by those who control their fate".

He added "the situation in Syria is bad. Very, very bad...it is getting
worse and therefore if nearly 50,000 were killed in nearly two years if, God
forbids, this crisis continues for another year, it will not only kill
25,000. It will kill 100,000. The situation is deteriorating."

Al-Malih said that in his view, everybody is aware of the solution to the
Syrian crisis, namely to arm the FSA with qualitative and sophisticated
weapons to allow it to end the struggle. He ruled out the possibility of a
political solution in Syria, particularly in light of Russia, Iran and China
continuing to politically, diplomatically, militarily and financially
support the Damascus regime.

Al-Malih also revealed that the Syrian National Coalition is scheduled to
meet in the coming few days to discuss the implications of the political
situation, as well as the situation on the ground in the country, in order
to strengthen the Syrian revolution.